Blackout
by isis-sg1
Summary: The team gets separated when the power suddenly goes out at NCIS headquarters, locking every door in the building. How are they going to get out? COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Well here's my new story (with an actual proper plot this time) I've really put some effort into this story so I hope you like it. I've got some chapters written already so the more you review the quicker I'll post the next chapter (I'm always up for a little shameless bribing)

Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS or any of it's characters.

Tony's eyes flicked up from the game he was playing on his cell phone. He played the game so much when he should be working, that he didn't even need to look. It was probably better that way so he could always hide his cell before Gibbs caught him in the act. He eyed his co-worker Ziva thoughtfully before speaking.

"You know what film this case reminded me of?" Ziva sighed and met Tony's eyes with her own.

"Tony can't you see I'm working here?" She was met with blank eyes.

"Probie!" Tony shouted sharply. The younger agent looked up from his own computer. "You know what film this case reminded me of?" After getting this question after every case they solved, McGee wasn't fazed by it. Almost automatically, McGee dropped his head back to his computer screen and answered the senior field agent resignedly.

"What film Tony?"

"Entrapment" Tony replied dramatically, his eyebrows waggling and his eyes glinting audaciously. McGee frowned and turned to Tony.

"The case was nothing like Entrapment"

"Yeah but that Petty Officer I interviewed? Dead ringer for Catherine Zeta Jones" Tony sighed at the thought of both the actress and the look-alike as McGee and Ziva rolled their eyes simultaneously. Ziva leaned over her desk and spoke softly to Tony.

"Is sex all you think about Tony?" Her exotic voice adding a taste of sauce to the question

"Of course not" He answered as if it was obvious "Sometimes I think about my mustang," He added a second later. He smiled widely at Ziva's second eye roll.

"DiNozzo!" A louder, rough voice interrupted their banter, causing Tony to slam his cell phone shut and sit up straight. "Stop thinking about that stupid car of yours and get back to work!" Their ex-marine boss descended the stairs and strode round the corner into the bullpen with precision and a large cup of Starbucks coffee in one hand.

"Yes Boss" Tony replied obediently. He dropped his head and began typing furiously. He was saved from one of Gibbs' glares and Ziva's pleased look at his reprimand when Gibbs' desk phone rang.

"Gibbs" He answered curtly. Any who knew him knew that that was about as polite as he got. The rest of the team watched covertly as their boss listened to the person on the other side. "Okay, we'll have him up in five minutes" Gibbs slammed the phone down. "The prison van is here for Harker, McGee, go up to the garage and wait with the van, DiNozzo, escort Harker from the cells to the garage and Ziva?" Ziva perked up at her name. "Finish your report" She nodded, slightly bothered that the wasn't given anything active to do. She abhorred writing the reports but she also knew that it's didn't take three of them to escort one handcuffed man from the cells to the elevator. Gibbs received two "On it Boss" from McGee and DiNozzo and watched them as they left quickly to fulfil their orders. "I'll be in MTAC" He told Ziva before pushing back his chair and leaving Ziva alone in the large squad room.

Tony and McGee stopped at the elevator.

"Probie? What do you think you're doing?" McGee looked at his confused.

"Getting the elevator to the garage"

"But the garage is down"

"Yeah I know" McGee was getting the inkling that this would end up being one of those times where he had to work hard not to strangle Tony.

"The jail cells are up"

"I know that too"

"Meaning-" Tony began raising his eyebrows. "That I'll be using the elevator and you'll be using the stairs." Tony's eyes looked McGee up and down. "You need the exercise anyway Probie" He patted McGee's stomach and jumped into the elevator as soon as it arrived. He pressed the button to go down and gave McGee a wave goodbye as the doors shut.

"Ziva gave my butt a four and his a two, Ziva gave my butt a four and his a two" He muttered the mantra to himself as he turned to the stairwell.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm very glad you're liking it. Please keep reviewing so I know I'm on the right path.

* * *

Tony entered the jail cell and easily spotted Michael Harker sitting 

desolately on the small, sparse bed. The middle aged man looked up at

the agent.

"You're transport's here," Tony told the criminal coldly. Tony

reached round to the back of his trousers and pulled out the handcuffs

that sat at his belt. "Hands out," he ordered, and waited patiently

for the man to lift his arms out. The handcuff clicked purposefully on

the man's wrists.

"Stand up," Tony spoke with a harshness he saved for the scum he

arrested. He roughly helped Harker to his feet and pushed him out of

the cell. He then marched the prisoner to the elevator and pressed the

button.

"Don't think about trying anything Harker," he told the man, pushing

him into the wall as they waited for the elevator to return to their

floor. A second later, Tony heard the familiar beep and then the doors

slid open. Tony grabbed Harker's bicep tightly and pulled him into the

small square space. The doors slid shut behind them and Tony pressed

the button for the garage. The lift jolted to life, whizzing slowly

upwards. Suddenly, the lift lurched to a halt, nearly tipping Tony and

the prisoner over. The small lift was plunged into darkness, leaving a

blind Agent scrambling to control the blind, panicked prisoner.

* * *

McGee arrived at thebottom of the stairs barely out of breath and opened 

the fire door that led to the large garage used mainly by Abby, the

lab tech and forensic genius, to examine cars from crime scenes. It

was also used by the Leavenworth prison vans to give them easy access

to the prisoners. The van was already waiting just outside the open

metal double doors. One guard was still sitting in the driver's seat,

while the other was armed and ready at the rear of the vehicle. McGee

waved to them as he approached.

"Special Agent DiNozzo's on his way up with Harker," he told the armed

guard, who nodded sharply. The pair waited at the double doors for any

sign of Tony.

"Any minute now," McGee added. Suddenly, the large room was thrust

into darkness as the few lights that illuminated the garage failed.

The double doors slowly creaked shut, the strength of the doors making

it impossible to stop them from closing completely leaving one guard

and the van on the outside, and McGee and the other heavily-armed

guard stuck in the dark.

* * *

Ziva watched the interaction between her two co-workers at the 

elevator, amused at their behaviour. She shook her head and turned

back to her computer work. She heard the elevator doors shut and the

stairwell door screech open and slam shut again. She watched Gibbs

ascend the staircase and walk the few steps needed to reach the door

to the Multiple Threat Assessment Centre, let the machine scan his eye

and walk through the thick door, through the corner of her eye.

Knowing it would be a while before her team-mates returned, she

enjoyed the peace and quiet, typing her report at a leisurely pace.

Suddenly her computer screen turned black, followed by the squad room.

With it being late evening, there was barely any light coming in from outside. Ziva could barely see her hands in front of her face.

* * *

Gibbs ascended the stairs without making a sound; he sipped his strong 

black coffee and turned towards the MTAC door. He put his right eye in

front of the scanner and waited only a few seconds for the computer to

recognise him and open the door. The room was lit like a cinema.

Lights in the walkway led the way towards the centre of the room where

the computer station sat unmanned. To his right sat Director Jenny

Shepard, sitting in the cinema style chairs watching the newest

operation unfold on one of the large screens on the opposite wall. He

smiled at her concentration, knowing that look once was directed at

him. He took the few steps needed to reach her and sat down in the

adjacent chair.

"Evening, Jethro," Jenny spoke without taking her eyes off the screens.

"Jenn," he replied.

"Harker gone yet?"

"Tony and McGee are escorting him out of here as we speak."

"Good work today," Director Shepard praised her former lover.

"I know," Gibbs answered almost arrogantly. Jenn opened her mouth to

retort, but was interrupted when the screens went blank and the dim

lights turned off completely as if the film was about to start.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to my beta-reader Rinne for checking my work and catching the things I miss and thanks for all the people that are reviewing. Keep at it cos it really does help me to keep writing.

* * *

"Jethro."

"Yeah?"

"What just happened?" The pair sat motionless in the pitch black room.

"Well, the lights just turned off, Jenn."

"Really? You think?" she replied sarcastically.

"No need to get snippy with me, Jenn." Jenny felt Gibbs stand up beside her.

"Where are you going?" she asked, standing up to join him.

"To get out of here, hopefully the rest of NCIS is still fully lit," he answered, as if it were the most  
obvious thing in the world.

"I'd like to see you try and find the door."

"Come on." Gibbs felt for Jenny's hand to lead her towards the door. He was rewarded with a slap to the arm. "What was that for?"

"That was not my hand, Jethro."

Gibbs smiled, glad that Jenny couldn't see how much he was enjoying this. Eventually Gibbs found her hand and pulled her along the walkway, feeling with his free hand where the wall was. Eventually the pair made it to the door. Gibbs could feel the edges of where the hinges sat. He took hold of the door handle and pulled. Nothing happened. He tried again, with no luck.

"The door's stuck."

"Okay, what now?" Jenny asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Can you give me a minute to think?" Gibbs asked, slightly irritated.

"Well seeing as I can't see my watch, you have all the time in the world"

"You're not helping!" Gibbs retorted. He fished out his knife from his trouser pocket and began trying to loosen the screws in the hinges. "Ow!" He yelped when the knife slipped and cut into his hand.

"What? What have you done?" Jenny asked, genuinely concerned. Yes, they had their less stellar moments when they wouldn't agree or Gibbs forgot she was his boss for a second, but she still did care for him, even after all the time that had passed since they last saw each other.

"It's just a cut."

"Let me see."

Gibbs snorted. "And how are you going to do that, Jenn? With your night vision goggles you keep with you at all times?"

"Just give me your hand, Jethro. I could make it an order," she threatened. She heard him sigh, and a second later she felt his hand in front of her. She took hold of it and began feeling for the cut. Without thinking, she pressed hard into the scratch.

"Hey!"

"Sorry." Jenny could feel the blood pouring out of the wound. "I don't think you've done too much damage but we don't have a first aid kit in here."

"I can manage."

"Aww, such a big boy, you sure you don't want me to kiss it better?" She spoke as if talking to a young child.

"We'll save that for later," he replied.

"If you ever get us out of here."

"The door is bolted and the hinges are too stiff to loosen with my knife, so what do you suggest we do?"

Jenny shrugged. "Well?" Jenny pushed past Gibbs and began banging on the door.

"Hey! Anyone there? Hey!"

"Jenn?"

"What!"

"You do realise that door is sound proof?"

"It was worth a try don't you think?"

"The emergency lighting should have come on by now and I don't know why it hasn't. Some one will look for us when they realise we're missing. I told Ziva I was here, so it shouldn't be too long."

"You want us to just sit here and wait?" Jenny asked incredulously. She couldn't believe that Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the most impatient man on the planet had just suggested that they sit and wait.

"What do you want me to do, break down that door like the incredible hulk?"

"Incredible hulk?" Jenn queried

"DiNozzo talks too much," Gibbs answered. The pair slid down the wall and sat opposite each other on the carpeted floor.

"What do you wanna do while we wait?" Jenn asked.

"Play I-Spy?"

"This isn't funny, Jethro."

"Do you hear me laughing?"

"The minute I get out of here I'm slapping the back of your head."

"Why wait?"

"Because I can't see where your head is."

"Fair point."


	4. Chapter 4

"What just happened?" The armed guard immediately went on full alert. McGee could hear the safety click off the machine gun the guard was holding.

"Power's out, the back up should kick in any moment." Both their voices carried across the large room. They waited silently for the back up generator to bathe them in green light."Are you so sure about that Special Agent McGee?"

"Well, I've never been in a situation like this; I'm just going by what I know about the procedures set in place here." They both turned to the large metal doors when someone began banging on the opposite side of the door. "That's my partner, Greg," the guard explained, reciprocating the banging sound to let his partner know he was all right.

McGee fished into a pocket for his cell-phone. He sighed slightly as the open cell lit up his face. He wasn't really afraid of the dark, but it was reassuring to have a little light. "I've got a little signal, how about you?"

The guard reached into his shirt pocket and flipped open his own cell phone. "I've got enough." He began punching in the numbers for his partner's cell phone. "Greg, all the power's  
out…yeah I know…call dispatch and tell 'em there's going to be a hold up …I don't know how long...no, the prisoner's still en route somewhere-"

"Get him to check the external power lines that go into the building," McGee interrupted. Hopefully their man on the outside could help them get the power back on.

"You here that?" The guard looked up at McGee. "Where is it?"

"Southside of the building"

"Southside of the building Greg, see what the damage is; the sooner the power's back on, the sooner we can get this scumbag to Leavenworth…okay, talk to you in ten." He slammed the phone shut.

"The name's Tim," McGee began.

"Huh?"

"Well, I'm thinking we're going to be here for a while."

"Right, well I'm Rick."

"Nice to meet you, Rick."

"Wish it was under different circumstances , Tim."

"Yeah, me too."

"What's really going on here?"

"I have no idea, but I know we're completely stuck until there's power."

"Stuck?"

"After 9/11 the whole building system was redesigned. If the power goes out, then every single door in the building automatically bolts shut, stopping any terrorist from getting in or out of the building."

Rick sighed. He unclipped his gun and placed it on the floor. "Guess there's no need to be armed."

"Not unless you're planning on shooting your way out of here."

Greg laughed. "I like you kid, you're funny."

"My team-mates wouldn't agree with you on that one."

"Well you're a probie, what do you expect?"

"How'd you know I was a-"

"Probie?" McGee nodded and then quickly realised that Rick couldn't see him nodding. "You've been in this job long enough you just know." Their conversation was interrupted by the high pitched shrill of a cell phone. Rick reached back into his shirt pocket and opened the phone. "Greg? What've you got… what?" Rick turned to McGee. "Someone's cut the wires, Greg says there's a pair of bolt cutters on the ground nearby."

McGee raised his eyebrows at the information. "But why would someone want to-" His first thought  
was interrupted by a second thought. "The emergency lighting should have come on as soon as the power went out. Ask your partner to get the back up generator working, there should be a switch on the wall next to the cut wires." Rick nodded and relayed the information. A minute later, the room was bathed with a dim green light.

"That's better."

"For us maybe, I have no idea what the situation is for the rest of my team."

"What do you mean?"

"Hopefully Gibbs and Ziva are okay, but all the doors will stay locked until there is full power and the director puts the security code into the computer. Tony went to get Harker, he could be stuck  
anywhere with the prisoner." 

Feeling a sense of dread, McGee turned to Rick who had a similar worried expression. Even handcuffed, Harker could do a lot of damage if panicked or if he thought this was his chance to escape.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God!" Harker cried. "Turn the lights back on!" he shouted into Tony's ear.

"Hey, shut the hell up!"

"Why have you done this? Turn the lights back on! We have to get of here. Oh God, it's too dark! I can't breathe! There's no air in here. Oh God, there's no air! Get me out of here!" Even though he was handcuffed he began banging on the elevator doors.

"Great, stuck in a pitch black elevator with a claustrophobic," Tony muttered to himself.

"Do something! Get me out of here before I die! God! I'm going to die in here; are the walls closing in? I swear the walls are getting closer; is it getting hotter? I'm going to boil to death!" Tony had quickly got fed up with Harker's panicked ramblings. He grabbed both his arms and shook him roughly.

"Hey! Listen to me! There's no way I'm going to get stuck in here for god knows how long with you rambling like a crazy man! If you don't shut up, I'm gonna shoot you!" Tony shouted, glad that he had picked up his gun before collecting Harker. Luckily Gibbs had drummed the _always be prepared_ motto into him early in his NCIS career.

Harker quietened quickly, but Tony could still hear his harsh breaths as he tried to get the precious air into his lungs. "Breathe, deep slow breaths," Tony instructed, and slowly Harker's breathing evened out. "That's good. Now, we might be here for a while if the power's out, we might as well make ourselves comfortable." Tony helped Harker into a sitting position on the floor of the lift. Tony sat down opposite him and pulled his gun from his belt. _Just in case_.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you know?"

"Cos I'm stuck in here with you!"

"You don't have to sound so unhappy about it," Harker complained.

"You killed someone Harker! Excuse me for feeling a little tense about being stuck in an elevator with a murderer."

"He killed my brother!"

"That does not give you the right to kill him in revenge!" Tony shouted, pointing his gun at Harker. Harker stayed silent, giving Tony time to cool off. He dropped his gun hand back into his lap. "Gibbs'll come find us eventually."

"So I can be carted off to prison for the rest of my life? I'd rather you shoot me now."

"Don't tempt me." Tony blinked as the emergency lighting switched on. The tiny spotlight in the ceiling glowed a dark green, giving Tony just enough light to see his prisoner properly. "See? That's a start"

"This elevator feels even smaller than it looks…are you sure this thing isn't airtight?" Harker pulled at the tie around his throat. Tony rolled his eyes, silently hoping Gibbs would find them soon.

"How about we sit in silence," Tony suggested.

"Good idea, we have to save oxygen."

Tony just looked at the crazed prisoner as he opened his mouth and sucked in air. His cheeks swelled up as he tried to hold his breath and even in the green light Tony could see Harker's face turning red. "Hey! Hey! Stop that!" Tony nudged Harker with his foot. A second later Harker let out the oxygen with a loud gasp. "I don't want my team-mates to open the doors to find me standing over you, passed out from lack of oxygen."

"You think I'm going to pass out?" Harker panicked slightly.

"Not unless I knock you out, which still could happen if you don't shut up!" Harker grumbled under his breath and rubbed his sore arm gently.


	6. Chapter 6

Ziva stayed silent. Knowing her eyes were useless in the dark. she used her sharp hearing honed from her many years with Mossad to sense any other presence in the room. She heard nothing nearby but reached into her desk to draw her gun just in case. She slammed the clip in with a click and held it ready. She picked up her desk phone and held it to her ear and frowned when she heard no dial tone. Cautiously, she stood up from her seat and moved out from behind her desk. Half of her was glad that her team-mates weren't with her, she was saved from any of Tony's inevitable movie references, but the other half of her wished at least one of her team-mates was around to help her decide what to do. No one at NCIS had told her what to do in cases such as these.

"Hello?" she called. "Anyone there?" No one answered straight away, providing Ziva with a reason to drop her guard. Her gun snapped back up into aiming position only a second later when she heard a voice.

"Hello? Who's there?" The unrecognisable voice asked. Even though she couldn't see, Ziva scanned the room with her gun, ready for any attacks.

"Officer Ziva David, now identify yourself!" she ordered the voice.

"I'm Jason Jackson, I'm just a janitor here."

Ziva relaxed slightly. "Well Jason Jackson, we seem to be having a slight power problem. You think you can follow the sound of my voice? I think it's wise that we stick together."

"I think so, where are you?"

"I'm in the middle of the room, by my desk, just keep moving towards my voice." Ziva heard footsteps and the occasional curse as the janitor knocked into desks and cabinets. Finally, she felt a body move towards her. "Jason?" Ziva held out her hand. "Give me your hand." After a little more fumbling, their hands touched. "Okay, that's good/"

"I'm scared"

"It's just a power black," Ziva answered.

"Huh?" The young man wasn't used to Ziva's malapropisms.

"Blackout," Ziva tried again. Jason snorted.

"This is just great; I only came in this late for the extra hours, now I'm stuck here."

"I'm stuck here too, Jason. Remember, you're not the only one." Once Ziva was sure that Jason felt safe beside her she let go of his hand.

"What do we do now?"

"I suggest we find Special Agent Gibbs."

"That man who shouts a lot?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well how are we-" Jason's question was cut short by the emergency lighting.

Ziva smiled. "At least we have a little light now, that should make things easier." Ziva turned to Jason and studied his face. His features were unfamiliar to her and, although she was still fairly new, she had always learnt at Mossad to observe and memorise everything.

"So where is he?"

"Who?" Ziva asked, still thinking everything over.

"Gibbs?"

Ziva quickly snapped out of it. "Ah, he went into MTAC before the blackout, we'll start there." Jason followed Ziva like a loyal puppy as Ziva walked carefully up the stairs. Upon reaching the solid door, Ziva waited for Jason to reach her side.

"How do we know that he's still in there?" he asked as he watched Ziva attempt to open the door.

"We don't."

"But-"

Ziva interrupted Jason. "It's no use, the door's screwed shut."

"You mean bolted?"

"You're as bad as Tony." Jason didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or as an insult. "We need something to open this door with." Ziva squinted and scanned the large room, hoping to spot something in the dim light that would help them. "There." She pointed to a fire extinguisher on the far wall. "Grab that for me." Jason silently obeyed, jogging to the extinguisher and pulling it off the wall. He carried it back and handed it to Ziva.

"What do you plan to do with that?" Jason asked. Ziva smiled mischievously

"This is a carbon dioxide extinguisher," Ziva explained to the janitor.

"So?" Jason had never really paid much attention in chemistry classes.

"If we spray the door where the bolt is, it should freeze up, weakening the bolt enough to break open the door using the end of the extinguisher."

"If you say so." Jason took a step back, giving Ziva the room she needed to work.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Jenny began. They had been sitting in the dark for fifteen minutes before the emergency lighting had been switched on. Jenn had taken another look at Gibb's cut hand and, after deeming it okay, they had sat in a comfortable silence. Gibbs smiled at Jenn.

"What?"

"London," she answered with a smirk. Gibbs frowned as he tried to recall their exploits in London.

"That was a closet Jenn and we weren't locked in."

"No, but I did enjoy the close quarters."

Gibbs laughed. "You seem to forget I had two broken ribs at the time."

Jenny slowly raked her eyes over Gibbs. "Didn't appear to slow you down."

Gibbs just grinned, knowing their flirting wouldn't ever go any further. Gibbs turned to the doorway suddenly.

"What?" Jenny asked.

"You hear that?" Gibbs stood up and placed his ear against the solid door.

"I guess that door isn't as sound-proof as we first thought, Jethro," Jenn spoke as she too began to hear the banging sound from the outside. Gibbs took a couple of steps back, pulling Jenny with him. Gibbs felt Jenny jump into the air as the door flung open with a loud bash. Just outside stood Ziva, still holding the battered fire extinguisher, looking slightly out of breath from the hard work. Just behind her stood an unfamiliar man in a janitorial jumpsuit. Ziva blew a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"Director, Gibbs," she greeted.

"What took you so long?" Gibbs asked. Ziva opened her mouth ready with an excuse but Jenny beat her to it.

"What Jethro means is thank you for getting us out of here." She slapped Gibbs on the shoulder as a reprimand.

"How about we get out of here then?" Gibbs suggested. Jenn nodded and they stepped out of the room into the larger but equally dark squad room.

"I'm guessing the whole building is sans power?" Jenny asked Ziva.

"Look like," Ziva replied. "I've only found Jason here, so far."

"Tony, McGee, Abby and Ducky are all still in the building somewhere," Gibbs spoke.

"Let's not forget Harker," Jenny added.

"Tony was escorting him. He's probably already handed him over to the prison transfer van and is sitting up in the garage with McGee waiting for us to come rescue them," Gibbs reassured the group.

"Then where do you suggest we start Jethro?"

Gibbs thought for a second before answering. "Lets make sure Abby and Ducky are okay first. Abby's alone and likely has no idea what's going on, and it can't smell too nice in autopsy right now."

Jenn nodded. Ziva lifted up the heavy extinguisher. "And," she started, "we can use this to get through all those locked doors between here and the labs."

Gibbs nodded and smiled slightly at Ziva's plan. His first idea was to just shoot their way through the doors. "Me and Ziva will find Abs and Ducky, you two stay here in case the power turns back on and-"

"We'll need my security code, I know," Jenn finished Gibbs' train of thought.

"Come on, Ziva," Gibbs spoke without taking his eyes off Jenn. He tore his eyes away and pivoted marine style. Ziva easily kept in step with him as they made their way to the only available access from the squad room to Abby's lab. The stairwell.


	7. Chapter 7

The pair made their way through the now open door and descended the cool, dark stairwell with ease, their footsteps echoing. As they reached the level for Abby's lab, they repeated the process on the door with the carbon dioxide and Gibbs kicked the door open. Gibbs led the way into the darkened lab. Almost immediately, Gibbs noticed Abby sitting against the other side of the glass door. Anyone else looking for her would have missed her completely. Her raven black hair and black clothes camouflaged her against the dark backdrop of the lab. He walked up to the door and knocked against it twice, making Abby jump out of her skin. He smiled as she shot up into the air. She spun around and came face to face with Gibbs.

"_Not nice,_" she signed. Gibbs shrugged.

"_You need some help?_" he signed back. He was rewarded with a, "_well duh!"_

Gibbs turned to Ziva. "Help me with this," he ordered.

She stepped forward, and the pair dug their fingers into the edge of the door and began pulling hard. With a little help from Abby on the other side, a gap just big enough for Abby to fit through appeared. Abby slipped through as Gibbs and Ziva held it open for her. As soon as she was clear, they let go of the door, letting it snap back into place.

"Do you know how long I've been stuck in there, Gibbs? _And_ without a Caff-Pow." Abby ripped off her lab coat, knowing she wouldn't be needing it anytime soon.

"We've all had our own problems Abs," he explained as he watched her reach for her previously unreachable, half-finished, caffeinated drink sitting by the computer. She sipped as if it was her first drink since a long spell on a desert island.

"You're telling me! My computers don't work, none of my equipment works, not even my CD player works, I've been bored out of my skull! I had plans this evening Gibbs."

"I know the feeling," Gibbs replied vaguely.

"Where's everyone else?" Abby asked, noticing the absence of Tony and McGee.

"They're around," Gibbs replied.

"Around?" The forensic scientist in her needed more than an unclear "around".

"Give me a chance Abs, we came for you first."

"Really?" she asked excitedly, her eyes widening like a child's. "I knew you loved me the most, bossman!"

Gibbs laughed. "Come on." Gibbs placed an arm gently over Abby's shoulders to guide her out of the lab. "Next stop, Ducky's Morgue."

"Are you having as much fun as I am, Gibbs?" Abby asked as they exited the lab.

"You call this fun?"

"I love the dark, it's so creepy."

"I should have known you would like this, Abby," Ziva interjected. Abby sent her a look, telling her she was thankful for her help in escaping her "prison" but wasn't thankful for her comments. Although Abby had become accustomed to Ziva's presence, and was slightly nicer, there were still times when Ziva's comments towards Abby were not appreciated.

"I don't know if DiNozzo or McGee are okay and we're having to break down every single door we come across with a fire extinguisher, how can you call this fun?" Gibbs asked Abby as Ziva re-opened the door to the stairs. It was only one floor down to the morgue but that still meant at least two more locked doors to defeat.

"Easy, Gibbs," Abby smiled at Gibbs. "This-is-fun." She spoke slowly and clearly.

"Well look who's turned into a comedienne." Ziva spoke as she held the door open for Gibbs and Abby and closed the door behind herself, bring up the rear of the trio as they descended the few steps needed to reach the morgue and Ducky.


	8. Chapter 8

"Did you know that shrunken heads are known for their mandibular prognathism, facial distortion and shrinkage of the lateral sides of the forehead, and the heads were believed to harness the spirits of those enemies and compel them to serve the shrinker?"

"Really Doctor?" Palmer answered unenthusiastically. He sat on the edge on one of the metal slabs used for autopsies, his head in his hands and his glasses to one side. There didn't seem like a need for glasses when it was too dark to see with them anyway. Palmer hoped someone would come for them soon, he'd been listening to his mentor for nearly half an hour.

"Yes, the spirits Wakani, Arutam and Muisak. To block the last spirit from using its powers, they decided to sever their enemy's heads and shrink them. It also served as a way of warning those enemies."

Palmer had been assisting Doctor "Ducky" Mallard on the last autopsy of the day when the lights had gone out. The emergency lighting had switched on sometime since, but unluckily for the pair, the power wasn't keeping the body drawers cool, meaning that if someone didn't turn the power back on or get them out of there then the room would start smelling. Badly.

"I-" Ducky began, but was distracted by Palmer's relieved face. He looked over to where Palmer's eyes fell and noticed Gibbs, Ziva and Abby standing outside the locked doors.

Before exiting the stairwell, Gibbs had noticed something attached to the wall that would hopefully come in handy. Yanking the fire axe off the wall, he held it loosely in one hand. In front of the autopsy doors stood Abby and Ziva, waiting for him. Abby pressed her face up against the glass and laughed.

"What?"

"I think Ducky is also enjoying the blackout," she answered cryptically.

Gibbs looked over her shoulder into the room and saw Palmer sitting with his head in his hands and Ducky quite happily talking his head off. Palmer raised his head and instantly noticed the trio standing outside the door. Ducky noticed and also turned his head towards the door.

Gibbs placed the axe between the doors to act as a lever. Once there was a small gap between the doors, Ziva and Abby grabbed a door each and pulled in opposite direction. Gibbs took over from Abby and, with his added strength, the doors slowly split open. Once fully opened, Gibbs placed the axe in-between the doors to stop them from closing again.

"Glad you could join us Jethro, it's really starting to smell in here," Ducky spoke with his distinctive English accent as he joined the trio that had rescued him and Palmer. Palmer gleefully hopped off the metal table and joined everyone at the door.

"Well you know, had nothing better to do," Gibbs replied sarcastically.

"You know, I was just informing Palmer here about the world of shrunken heads, maybe I could-"

"Another time, Ducky," Gibbs spoke quickly.

"Ah yes, this may not be the best time. Where is young Anthony and Timothy?"

"Lets get back to the squad room first and then try and find them," Gibbs decided.

"Wise decision Jethro, lead the way." Ducky nodded to Gibbs.

"Director Shepard and Jason Jackson are waiting for us in the squad room," Ziva told the newer members to the group.

"Who's Jason Jackson?" Abby questioned.

Ziva shrugged. "He says he's a janitor, but I've never seen him before."

"Okay, here's the plan," Gibbs spoke over the chatter. The group immediately silenced at Gibbs' commanding tone. "The director will have called for back up by now and they should be arriving any minute. We'll all go back to the squad room and then Ziva and I will go looking for the brothers Grimm."

Ziva looked at Ducky questioningly. "Brother's Grimm?"

"German professors, Ziva," Ducky answered. Abby and Palmer's eyes widened as they recognized the signs that Ducky had much more to tell. "Best known for publishing collections of authentic folk tales and fairy tales. Modern psychologists and cultural anthropologists theorize that the stories are actually representations of emotional angst, fear of abandonment, parental abuse, and or sexual-"

"He means McGee and Tony," Abby translated quickly at Ziva's lost look.

"Can we please just get out of here?" Gibbs spoke impatiently. He opened the door for the group. Ziva led the group, with Palmer and Abby not far behind. Ducky stopped at the open door.

"You're worried about the boys," he spoke intuitively.

"They're fine, Duck," Gibbs replied.

"Are you hoping that they're fine or is your gut telling you that?" Gibbs didn't answer. Ducky raised an eyebrow. "You and I both know that until you see them for yourself, you won't stop worrying." He turned away from Gibbs and headed up the dark stairwell after his co-workers.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony eyed the prisoner silently. The middle-aged man had calmed down slightly after his panic attack, but Tony could still see fear behind his dark eyes. The prisoner had alternated between fidgeting with the cuffs that held his hands together and manoeuvring his cuffed hands to rub his left arm. He sat against the elevator wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. Tony sat in a similar position on the opposite side, but kept one knee up to rest his gun on.

Tony dropped his head to one side. It had been a long day, what with chasing Harker all over DC. He'd anticipated escorting Harker to the prison van and then going straight home to fall into his bed. In any of the wild fantasies that played through his head at any given time, this had not been one of them. Since the elevator had jolted to a halt half an hour before, the temperature of the small room had risen considerably. Tony had pulled his tie off early on and was deliberating whether or not to unbutton his shirt when Harker rubbed at his arm again.

"What have you done to your arm?" he asked.

"You manhandled me that's what; I'm gonna report you for excessive force."

Tony made no expression. "Report away, do I look like I care?" Tony spoke, realising how much he sounded like Gibbs.

Harker snorted but made no attempt to retort and eyed the agent cautiously. He looked just as tired as Harker felt, although he couldn't be fooled by his relaxed attitude. It easily hid a skilled agent. Even though the gun the agent held wasn't pointed at him, he knew that one false move would have the gun aimed in one of many fatal areas in seconds. He also knew the agent loathed him. "He killed my brother, Agent Dinozzo."

"That's Special Agent," Tony corrected reflexively.

"What would you have done if someone had killed your brother?" The older man asked.

Tony's eyes flicked up to meet Harker's. "I'm an only child," he replied.

"Your father then."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "You obviously don't know anything about the relationship I have with my father."

"Obviously, I don't."

"You revenged your brother's death because you loved him?" Harker nodded. "Or you sacrificed your freedom for a man who's already dead." Harker stayed silent as Tony answered his own question. "Either way you look at it, you killed a man, Harker."

"And you've never killed anyone?"

"That's different." Tony's eyes dropped to the floor, his free hand picking inattentively at the thin elevator carpet.

"Why?"

"Because in situations like that, it's either them or me. If they're shooting at me I have every right to protect my life and those of my team mates." Harker shrugged and then hissed as he aggravated his sore arm. They fell quiet as they both processed Tony's words. It was Tony who first broke the silence. "What was it like?" he asked the man. Even after his many years as a homicide cop and as an NCIS agent, he'd never been able to understand what went on inside the mind of a murderer.

"What was what like?"

"Killing someone in cold blood, murdering. Did you feel remorse for the life you just cut short?"

"I felt satisfied, Special Agent DiNozzo. Is that what you want to hear? I avenged the death of my brother and I'm glad I did it, I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"And that's why we're different," Tony spoke softly, avoiding Harker's powerful gaze. "Because, even when the guy I just killed was trying to kill me, I still feel regret. I still have to live with myself, cos the people I've killed have families, they have parents and children, sisters and brothers. Brothers just like you. I always wish there was another way, but sometimes there just isn't."


	10. Chapter 10

McGee sat on the edge of the nearest workbench, his hands resting lifelessly in his lap. His head sagged wearily but his eyes watched his "cellmate" as he searched the chaos of the garage.

"Anything useful?" he asked the older man. Rick picked up a metal pipe from a pile of metal and then tossed it back down on the ground, causing the clattering sound to echo and McGee to wince slightly.

"Nope," Rick replied, finding a new pile of trash to rummage through. "You always have so much garbage here?"

McGee shrugged. "I think those are the remains of a car we pulled out of the Potomac a couple of weeks ago, two dead sailors, well we think there were two; too many body parts to tell them apart."

Rick eyed the junk warily before moving quickly on to the shelves that lined the far wall. "Wrench, wrench, wrench, screwdriver, hammer, wrench," Rick listed the items as he found them. "Screwdriver, funny screw thing, nuts, bolts, hack saw, ah-ha!"

McGee's head snapped up at Rick's exclamation. "What?"

"Torch." Rick twisted the end of the torch and a single beam of white light lit up Rick's face. "Cool huh?" He waved the light at McGee who flinched as the light hit his eyes. The bright light quickly faded to a feeble dim glow. Rick smacked the torch against the palm of his hand. "Damn batteries," he muttered to himself.

McGee sighed. "All we have to do is break out of here, get the power back on and hope that the rest of my team is okay," McGee said despondently.

"Hey, what's with the attitude? My partner's working on the power situation and, from what I've heard, your team is pretty capable of looking after themselves."

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just….I have no idea what to do. I've never been cut off from Gibbs like this before. He would know what to do."

"What about your cell?"

"Battery's gone; forgot to charge it."

"Hasn't your boss ever told you to always be prepared?"

McGee shrugged. "I'm a probie, so sue me."

Rick chuckled. "One night, doing this job, me and my partner at the time, Nick, got stuck in this huge traffic jam. We had this drunk guy shouting his head off in the back and torrential rain outside. Of course, I was unprepared and I forgot my cell phone. Thing was, my wife had just gone into labour with our third child. She was pretty pissed at me when I turned up three hours later soaked to the bone."

McGee laughed. "Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"You had a partner named Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Nick and Rick?"

Rick smiled. "It was a thing," he explained with a shrug.

"What happened to him?" McGee asked, genuinely interested.

"Retired when a scumbag shot out his knee."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have you even been shot?"

Rick sighed. He walked slowly over to McGee and sat himself down next to him. He placed the torch in between them. "Once."

"What happened?"

"I was stupid," Rick answered. McGee stayed silent, giving the older man a chance to explain himself. "I was looking after this really nasty guy a couple of years back. The kind of guy who would do anything to get out of a prison sentence. So here I am, holding onto this guy while we wait for the van and I let my guard down for one second. In that one second, he'd knocked me over, grabbed my nine mil from my belt, and shot me. Lucky for me, he was a bad shot and only got me in the side." Rick lifted up his black t-shirt and pointed to a small circular scar on his side. "It missed all the major stuff but I lost a lot of blood. I was out of commission for a couple of months."

"I've never been shot," McGee spoke quietly. Rick pushed his t-shirt back down and turned his head towards McGee. "I've been shot at and I've seen other people shot, but I've never been shot."

"Count yourself lucky kid, count yourself lucky."


	11. Chapter 11

"You're back!" Jenn exclaimed as Gibbs entered the squad room, followed by Ziva, Abby, Ducky and Palmer. She slipped gracefully off the edge of Gibbs' desk and met the group halfway. "And you've brought company."

"Your powers of observation astound me, Jenn." Jenny glared at him but made no move to reprimand his insubordinate behaviour. "We had to break down a few doors to get to these guys."

"Well, while you were destroying government property, I phoned for back up and an ambulance in case it was needed." Jenn surveyed the group quickly. "I can see it wasn't needed, though."

"The back up?" Gibbs asked, trying to get Jenn back on subject.

"Are trying to get the power back on as soon as possible. From what I've managed to find out, it wasn't just a fault, someone cut the power."

"Figured that out when Ziva told me the phones were cut, Jenn."

Jenny glared at Gibbs. "You want me to tell you what I know or not?" Gibbs gave Jenn a silent invitation to continue. "Fearing it was a terrorist attempt, I phoned Fornell; he's standing outside in the cold as we speak." Gibbs smirked. "From what intell I managed to gather, it seems Harker is still in the building. The prison transfer van is still outside the garage doors minus one guard. Apparently the missing guard was last seen with McGee before the garage doors shut."

Gibbs frowned. "Where are Tony and Harker then?"

Jenn shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Gibbs sighed. "Okay."

"Jethro?"

Gibbs lifted his eyes to meet hers. "What?"

"Tony's a competent Agent."

"I know."

"He'll know what to do."

"I know."

"Okay."

"How long is the back up going to be?"

"They don't know."

"What do you suggest we do until then boss?" Abby asked, still unbelievably chirpy.

"You, Ducky and Palmer get comfortable. Me and Ziva are going after McGee and DiNozzo."

"How long are we going to have to wait?" The forgotten janitor asked from the shadows.

"We don't know."

"What _do_ we know, Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"We were sabotaged."

"But what does locking everyone in accomplish?" Ziva interjected.

"How about we get out of here and then find the idiot who did this," Gibbs spoke, silencing any more questions. He moved quickly across the room towards his desk and pulled out his weapon. Whilst Gibbs retrieved his gun, Abby moved towards Tony's desk. Opening the top drawer she rummaged around for what she was looking for.

"Aha!" She pulled something out and waved it at Ducky and Palmer. "I knew Tony had a pack of cards in here, who's up for poker?"

"Sounds fun," Palmer answered.

"Ducky?"

"Why not, I can tell you where the word sabotage originates from as I beat you at cards," he spoke, standing up to join Abby by Tony's desk.

"Janitor guy?"

"My wife is probably wondering where I am, she worries a lot. I thought I would call her, excuse me."

"Suit yourself." Abby turned her back to the retreating janitor.

"The word sabotage actually came from the French who…" Ducky's voice could be heard as the small group walked off to find a space to play cards.

Ziva's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Ziva, lets go," Gibbs ordered intolerantly.

"What is it, Ziva?" Jenn asked, noticing her unreadable expression. Ziva's eyes followed the figure of the janitor as he put space between himself and the group.

"Ce qui s'excuse, s'accuse," Ziva answered cryptically.


	12. Chapter 12

i wasn't going to post so soon after the last post but i just couldn't help myself! As for the review about the phone situation - the phones were cut but Jenny used her cell phone.

* * *

Harker groaned melodramatically, causing Tony to roll his eyes for the hundredth time. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it," Tony said as a pre-emptive manoeuvre.

Harker ignored him and groaned again. Tony sighed, rubbing his hand over his tired eyes. He had never been so bored in his entire life. Harker was far from entertaining and the same four grey walls was doing nothing for his energy levels. Harker groaned for a third time, this time louder and with a pathetic high-pitched whine.

"Okay, what is it?"

"I'm not feeling so good."

"Great," Tony muttered. "Take deep breaths, I don't want you puking your guts out in here." Tony told the man unsympathetically. Harker glared at Tony as he lifted himself up off the carpet. He stumbled slightly with the handcuffs hindering his balance. "What do you think you are doing?" Tony asked.

"Trying to get some fresh air, this hatch should open up." Harker motioned to the small square hatch on the roof of the lift compartment. "Then maybe once I can breathe again we can open the doors and climb outta here." Harker stretched onto tip toes and awkwardly flipped the hatch open.

"Yes, lets open the solid doors with the crow bar I have handy and then climb down the lift shaft with this rope and climbing gear!" Tony replied sarcastically, his patience wearing thin.

"Well, I'm not going to just sit here! If I don't get out of here soon I'm gonna-"

"Gonna what?" Tony almost dared.

"In case you hadn't noticed tight spaces freak me out."

"Really? And all that panicking and hyperventilating is just part of your charm?"

"You're a bastard, did you know that?"

"You got the wrong person, the bastard would be my boss." Harker didn't reply. He paced back and forth in the small compartment. In one bold decisive movement he began banging his fists against the door.

"Hey!" Tony shouted, but Harker ignore him. His fists began hitting harder and he started screaming at the top of his lungs. His hands began to bleed as he pounded against the door, leaving smudges all over it. Tony couldn't take anymore, he jumped to his feet and pointed his loaded gun in his face. "Stop, Harker or I'll shoot!"

"Fine shoot me!" Harker replied. "Get it over with!" Harker stopped, plunging the small room into silence. His eyes narrowed. "Or are you too chicken?"

Tony hesitated at Harker's remark and, in that split second, Harker lunged at Tony, fighting for control over the weapon. Tony reacted quickly, pushing back at Harker. Harker grabbed the gun and struggled to pull it from Tony's grasp. Tony managed to push Harker back and against the wall and he heard the familiar crack of skull against metal. Harker shook it off quickly and dug his nails into Tony's hand, breaking the skin. Their struggle for the gun lasted less than a minute before a familiar crack of a gunshot echoed nearly bursting the eardrums of both Tony and Harker in the close quarters.

For a second everything was still and soundless. Slowly, Tony's eyes widened. His hands let go of the gun and his shocked body dropped to the floor. Harker watched, stunned, as Tony looked down at the hole in his thigh, already bleeding profusely.

He Tony raised his head and spoke, his voice trembling from the pain.

"You shot me…"


	13. Chapter 13

now i'm being evil! hah! you're just going to have to wait to find out what happens to Tony!

* * *

"What is it Ziva?" Jenn asked, noticing her unreadable expression. Ziva's eyes followed the figure of the janitor as he put space between himself and the group.

"Ce qui s'excuse, s'accuse," Ziva answered cryptically. Gibbs' eyebrows furrowed as he considered Ziva's statement.

"It means-" Jenn began to explain but was quickly cut off by Gibbs.

"I know what it means, Jenn, I went to France too remember?" The group turned to watch the janitor talking on his phone in hushed tones in the far corner.

"He who excuses himself accuses himself," Ziva spoke.

"You think he's not who he says he is?"

"You keep telling me to listen to my gut. My gut is screaming at me on this one," Ziva replied.

"Okay." Gibbs unhooked his gun from his belt and held it at his side just in case. "Lets go find out who he is and what the hell he is doing here." The trio approached the man slowly, so as not to alert him. As they inched closer to him, his conversation grew louder.

"I don't know!" The "janitor" said. "You didn't tell me this would happen! Harker's somewhere else, I can't get to him. You have to get me out of here, they're going to suspect something!"

"We already do," Gibbs interrupted. Jason spun around, his phone dropping out of his hand in surprise. Gibbs lifted his gun and pointed it at the imposter. "Who are you and what do you want with Harker?"

"I'm not telling you anything," Jason sneered.

Gibbs gave the man his scariest glare and answered. "Oh, but you will." Gibbs took the safety off with a recognizable click. Jason's eyes widened in fear, aware of what Gibbs would do to him. "Why are you here?"

"I want a lawyer!" Jason began, hoping to stall for time. Gibbs looked at the man incredulously.

"Do you see one here? Tell me before I blow your kneecaps off!"

"Jethro," Jenn warned, trying to stop him before he went too far.

"No Jenn, this man knows something and we are not going anywhere until he talks."

Jason's eyes shifted deviously. "What do I get for telling you what you need?" he asked.

"What do you get? How about full use of your legs!" Gibbs aimed for Jason's right leg, to show Jason he meant business.

"Okay, okay!" Jason's hands went up in surrender. "I cut the power!"

"Why?" Ziva asked.

"To get to Harker. I thought if you were all distracted I could get to him! Didn't know all the doors would lock shut!"

"Why did you want to get to Harker?" Gibbs questioned.

Jason sighed, knowing there was no going back. He had to tell the truth. "To kill him."

"You decided to kill someone when he was surrounded by federal agents?" Gibbs couldn't believe what he was hearing. The man in front of him was either the bravest criminal or the most stupid that he'd ever met.

"There wasn't another choice! I didn't have another chance to kill him before he went to jail."

"But why did you want to kill him?"

"Because he killed my brother!"

It only took Gibbs a few seconds to process this new information but it still didn't make a lot of sense. "Let me get this straight, you're Gareth Peterson's brother?" Jason nodded. "And Gareth killed Michael Harker's brother Richard; Michael killed Gareth in revenge, so you're here to kill Michael to avenge Gareth?" Jason nodded again. "And I thought I had seen it all." Gibbs shook his head. "Ziva cuff him, I've had enough brotherly love for one day."

Ziva nodded and instantly grabbed Jason's hands, pulling them behind his back painfully. It was all his fault she'd spent the evening in the dark. She snapped the cuffs on with a satisfied smile. "Stay with him, if he so much as sneezes I want you to shoot him," Gibb ordered.

"Where are you going?" Jenn asked, her hands placed on her hips. She'd watched Gibbs gallivant around the building, taking charge and practically ignoring her authority. It was time to re-take control of the situation.

"Tony and McGee are still MIA, Jenn, I'm going after them"

"Without back up?"

"I am the back up!" Gibbs replied. He stuck his gun back on his belt and ran towards the stairwell.


	14. Chapter 14

With no hesitation, Gibbs shot the lock on the last remaining locked door - the one that separated him, hopefully, from McGee and Tony. He lifted up his leg and slammed all his body weight into the kick. The door swung open, splinters and metal flying into the air. Gibbs stepped into the garage and was quickly greeted by two surprised faces. McGee and Rick stood with their guns aimed at Gibbs. When both parties realised it was safe, their weapons dropped to their sides.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked immediately. McGee nodded. "Where's Tony?"

"You mean he's not with you?" McGee questioned. He had thought that Tony would try and find his way back to the squad room where there would be helped.

"Would I be asking if I knew where he was?" Gibbs shouted, his impatience and worry starting to show. Tony was the only team member he had yet to find.

"Well, he went up to the cells to get Harker, maybe he's-"

"I've checked there already McGee! He's not there."

"So he's somewhere between the cells and here?" Rick joined in.

Suddenly a switch in Gibbs' brain went on. He slowly turned around to come face to face with two grey sliding doors. "He's in the elevator," he spoke to himself.

"What was that boss?"

"He's in the goddamn elevator!" he shouted. He slammed his palm against the metal doors in anger.

"He can't be!" McGee spoke in disbelief. There was no way Tony was trapped in an elevator with a murderer.

"McGee, find something to pry these doors apart!" Gibbs spoke, his orders becoming more urgent by the second. Who knows what was happening in that elevator. Harker could have overpowered Tony already and was just waiting for the power to come back on to shoot his way out with Tony's gun. McGee began rummaging through the shelves for something, the little light available making it harder to see what he was looking for. "Hurry, McGee!" A second later McGee pulled something off the shelf.

"Found something." He held up the crowbar like it was the Olympic torch.

"Just get it over here, McGee." McGee passed it to Gibbs who slammed one end of the crow bar into the slot between the doors. With help from McGee and Rick, the doors finally slid open. Gibbs threw the crowbar to the ground with a clatter and instantly peered over the edge into the darkness. Looking down all he could see was black. He twisted and peered up to where the elevator car should be. "I can't see anything!"

"The torch ran out of batteries," McGee told Gibbs.

"Wait!" Rick called out. Gibbs and McGee turned to look at him. Rick unclipped his gun from his vest and handed it to Gibbs. He pulled out something from a vest pocket and handed that over too. "Infrared laser sight," he explained. "For those bad situations in the dark." Gibbs expertly clipped the laser sight onto the weapon and peered through it.

"Is he down there?" McGee asked nervously. Yes, Tony teased him incessantly but that didn't mean McGee didn't care if his friend was in trouble.

"There's definitely an elevator car stuck down the shaft but anyone could be in there. Hell, it could be empty for all we know!" Gibbs shouted into the shaft. "Tony!" The call echoed down the dark drop but no answer was shouted back. Either Tony couldn't hear Gibbs or Tony wasn't conscious to hear it. Gibbs turned back to McGee.

"We need to get down there."

"Boss, it's too dangerous!"

Gibbs replied with a glare. "There is no way I am leaving Tony down there."

"We would need torches, climbing gear, rope," McGee listed, hoping to dissuade his boss from doing anything drastic.

"Well, get some then!"

"It's all in the truck, Boss, and the truck's locked up outside."

"Damn it, McGee!" Gibbs shouted at the young agent.

"I'm sorry, Boss," McGee replied nervously. "There's nothing we can do until the power comes back on."

Gibbs sighed. "Get Fornell on the phone and tell him to hurry his ass up!"

McGee nodded and Rick instantly handed over the only working phone.


	15. Chapter 15

"Go on then," Tony spoke. "Do it, finish me off."

He stared into the eyes of the prisoner. His whole body trembled as the blood poured out of his body. He used both hands to press down on the wound with what energy he had left. As he became weaker, more blood slipped through his fingers. His trousers were already stained and it had begun slowly spreading across the floor. Harker stood over him. The gun still in his hand pointed at Tony.

Tony never thought that this was the way that he would go. He had always imagined some big gun battle. He had always wanted to go out fighting. Not that he spent a lot of time thinking about his death. In a business like his you tried to avoid the subject as much as possible. If you had a near death experience on the job there wasn't time for what ifs. Whenever he was in trouble like he was now, trapped in shipping containers or kidnapped, he could always rely on Gibbs to find him. There was no second thoughts on the matter. He knew Gibbs would get there in the nick of time. This time, he realised Gibbs might find him too late.

Harker was stunned: he hadn't meant to pull the trigger. He just wanted some attention; he just wanted to get out of this hell hole. Now, not only was he charged with murder, he had just shot a federal agent.

"There's no way to escape, Harker." Tony kept his eyes on the other man's. "Gibbs knows we're in here," Tony began, not knowing himself if Gibbs did know they were in there.

"When the power comes back on he's going to have the elevator surrounded." He needed Harker to drop the gun. Harker's grip on the gun tightened.

"I'll use you," Harker decided.

Tony gritted his teeth as another wave of pain shot through him. "As what?"

"A shield, a hostage, whatever."

Tony shook his head. "It won't work, Harker."

"You wanna bet?"

"Gibbs won't let it happen. He's a trained sniper, you know. You don't think he can kill you with a single shot without hitting me?" Harker's right eye twitched. "Guess again."

"I'll take that chance."

Tony shook his head again. "I can't walk Harker, you wanna carry me out of here? I'd rather you kill me now." Harker stayed silent. "Come on Harker! Finish the job! Or are you too chicken? Just pull the trigger and finish me off!" Tony tried. Anything to get Harker off balance enough to drop the gun. "Shoot me." Harker didn't pull the trigger and Tony watched as Harker's eyes widened, near bursting from their sockets. The gun fell from his hands and Tony grabbed it immediately. Tony's head shot up when Harker cried out. His hands, still handcuffed together, grabbed at his chest. Tears came to his eyes as the pain overwhelmed him.

"Help me!" Harker gasped. His face began turning red as he struggled for air. Tony just looked on, not knowing what to do. Harker doubled over and landed hard on his knees. After taking one last harsh breath, Harker fell back onto the floor unconscious.

"Harker!Harker!" Tony shouted, but it was no use. "Damn it!" Tony dropped the gun and used some of his ever draining energy to pull himself across the floor. He pulled himself until he was sitting beside Harker. He pressed two fingers against his neck and began feeling for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He then checked to see if he was breathing. Harker's chest lay still. Tony had almost forgotten about his own life threatening wound as he leaned over and began giving Harker mouth to mouth to try and get him breathing. After four breaths he checked his pulse again. Tony couldn't feel anything.

"Damn it!" he repeated. He didn't think anything could get any worse. He was stuck in a badly lit elevator with a gun shot wound in his thigh and a prisoner who had probably just had a heart attack, who wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating. Tony pulled himself up, clasped his hands together and with his last remaining energy he began chest compressions to get Harker's heart beating again.

* * *

HA, BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THAT, DID YA? 


	16. Chapter 16

for all those people reading and then writing reviews i want to thank you for doing so and tell you that there is only one chapter left after this! Yes! this is the penultimate chapter. But don't worry, i have already started wrting my next story, which should be with you soon after this one finishes.

* * *

"As I was saying-"

"Ducky? Just place your bet," Abby pleaded, interrupting the man before he could lose himself in other story.

"Ah, yes." He placed three paperclips into the ever growing pile of multicoloured office stationary that was substituting for inaccessible money.

"Palmer?" The young assistant placed an equal amount of paperclips into the centre.

"I hope the power comes back on soon," Abby spoke as she dealt out another card to everyone.

"I thought you were enjoying the blackout?" Palmer asked.

"It's lost its thrill," she replied with a sigh.

"Jethro will get the power back on soon, Abigail," Ducky reassured.

"I know, Ducky."

"And he will find young Anthony."

"Oh, no doubt."

"Then what, may I ask, is your predicament?"

"I can't read my cards," Abby replied. She brought her cards close up to her face and squinted.

"Hmmm." Ducky copied her action. "I seem to have the same difficulty."

"This would be easier if there was some light," Palmer agreed. The trio winced as their request was granted. The squad room was instantly re-lit, the bright orange walls now visible and hurting their eyes.

"Ohh!" Abby cried. She grinned madly and placed her cards down excitedly. "Full house!"

* * *

Jason sat grumbling under his breath. His hands were cuffed tightly behind his back and Ziva was standing over him with one hand on her gun and one hand on his shoulder. He wasn't going anywhere. Jenn sat opposite Jason, her cell phone against one ear as she carried on co-ordinating the back up outside the building. She had already been told the power would come back on at any moment and was waiting by a computer to put in the security number to re-open all the doors. Not that it mattered for the doors inside. Most of them would have to be replaced after Gibbs had destroyed them all.

"How much longer?" Ziva asked.

"Not too long now," Jenn replied.

"Good, I'm really starting to think I should eat more potatoes."

"It's carrots, you idiot," Jason sneered. Ziva slapped the back of Jason's head. "Hey!" he cried out in indignation. Ziva leaned down to look Jason in the eyes.

"Gibbs told me to shoot you if you so much as sneezed. I myself need much less motivation than that." Jason gulped. "Stay quiet or I'll make you scumbag."

He muttered under his breath but after death glares from both Jenn and Ziva he shut up completely.

"I thought you said the light would come on any moment?" Ziva asked Jenn.

"Fornell has always exaggerated."

"I've never wanted to get out of the building so much before."

Jenn laughed. "Me either."

"Let's just hope Gibbs found McGee and Tony."

"Well, you know Gibbs, always-" Jenn's sentence was cut short by the lights coming on. She immediately twisted around to face the computer, turned it on and punched in the eight digit pass-code.

* * *

McGee flipped the phone shut and turned to his boss.

"Fornell said it should be back on in a couple of minutes."

"And what if we don't have a couple of minutes, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"I uh..." McGee stuttered unintelligibly.

Gibbs began pacing the room impatiently. "If I find he's sitting on his ass wondering what the hell took us so long I'm gonna shoot him," Gibbs threatened. "Or leave him in there," he added as an afterthought. He looked at his watch and sighed when he realised less than thirty seconds had passed. "What is it about DiNozzo that attracts trouble?" he asked.

McGee shrugged. "He has more lives than a cat." Gibbs snorted. "If anyone can survive in a five foot by five foot box, it's Tony."

Gibbs stopped pacing and walked up to McGee. "You willing to bet your life on that McGee?" McGee replied with some more unintelligible noises. "I thought not." Gibbs walked away. "He takes too many risks, he's going to get himself killed one of these days." McGee knew better then to reply when Gibbs was pacing around in a mood. He looked at his own watch.

"How much longer?" Gibbs asked.

"Around a minute," McGee answered. Gibbs began pacing faster and faster. He hated not being able to do anything. He was so used to doing whatever was needed to get results. This time he had to rely on other people.

"Damn it…I want the power back on!" he shouted out. As if he had magical powers, the lights switched on, bathing the room in a bright white light. All three winced as the light hurt their eyes.

* * *

Tony put his whole body into the compressions. His arms were tired, he was sweating from all the effort and at the same time he could feel the blood pouring out his leg. The blood loss had already affected his vision. Only a blur of a body lay in front of him. If someone didn't find them soon then all they'd find would be two dead bodies in a pool of blood. Tony gritted his teeth.

"Come on Harker, don't you die on me now!" Every six compressions he moved to Harker's mouth and breathed for him. Oxygen he so desperately needed himself. He knew he couldn't go on much longer. It was sheer adrenaline that was keeping him awake enough to keep Harker alive. After breathing for Harker, he moved back to the chest for more CPR. His muscles bulged as he strained them and pushed himself further than he ever thought he could go. "Come on!" Tony blinked hard as a brighter white light replaced the single green one. He sighed a huge sigh of relief as the power brought the elevator to life, it would be only seconds before the elevator opened, until then he had to keep pressing his fists into Harker's chest.

* * *

With the power back on and the elevator doors open, Gibbs waited for the car to start back up again and arrive.

"Come on, come on, come on," he muttered. Slowly, a whizzing sound grew louder, signalling the arrival of the elevator. A small ding was followed by the inner doors sliding open. McGee and Rick's jaws dropped at the spectacle in front of them. Gibbs' expression was unreadable as the group stood stunned for a millisecond, watching Tony give the prisoner, who was lying unconscious on the floor, CPR. It was only a millisecond after that that they realised Tony was bleeding badly.

"Tony," Gibbs called.

Tony kept on giving the prisoner first aid without looking up. "I need some help in here!" he shouted.

Gibbs rushed forward and instantly placed his hands on Tony's thigh to stop the bleeding any further. From the amount of blood inside the elevator, Gibbs could see that Tony had lost a lot. "Damn it Tony!"

Tony cried out in pain as Gibbs pushed harder against the wound and dropped back against the wall of the elevator, exhausted. "McGee get in here!" Gibbs ordered. McGee reacted instantaneously, taking over from Tony, giving Harker the attention he needed.

"Heart…attack," Tony breathed. He began shivering, his eyelids dropping as he began slipping into unconsciousness.

"Get the paramedics in here!" Gibbs shouted to Rick. He turned back to Tony. "Come on, Tony," He slapped the other man's cheek gently to get a response. "Stay with me."

The group looked up as the main garage door opened up and Rick's partner, Fornell, his team, and a pair of paramedics rushed into the room. The paramedics ran to the open elevator. One went to Tony's side while the other went to Harker. Gibbs and McGee were pushed out of the way and could only watch as the paramedics called for back up and began treating their two patients. In all the commotion the group hadn't seen Abby, Ducky and Palmer join then.

"Oh god, Tony!" Abby cried. Ducky held her back from rushing to Tony's side.

"Jethro! What happened?" Ducky asked. Gibbs shrugged. "Are you hurt?"

Gibbs looked down at his bloodied hands and shook his head. "It's Tony's."

Jenn and Ziva then arrived with Jason in between them. Jason laughed at Harker's still body.

"You bastard, this is all your fault!" Gibbs shouted, punching Jason square in the face and sending him flying to the ground. Gibbs stood over him. "If he dies, I'm coming after you." He looked up at Fornell's men. "Take him away," he ordered. Gibbs turned away as two men picked Jason up off the floor and dragged him outside.

Another set of paramedics came charging through the doors with a stretcher and Tony was placed on top of it. Gibbs followed as the stretcher was taken outside and into an ambulance.

"This was a long night," Ziva spoke as the bustling room emptied.

McGee sighed. "It's not over yet." The group joined Gibbs outside as they watched the ambulance turn on its lights and sirens and drive away towards the hospital.


	17. Chapter 17

Finally! TheLAST chapter! Thank you for all those amazing reviews, they are the reason i keep writing (seriously) And thanks you to my equally amazing beta reader Rinne who made sure my fic actually made sense! See you all soon when i post the first chapter of my new fic Insanity which i hope is even better than this one!

* * *

Tony knew exactly where he was as he was pulled out of his unconscious state by the constant beeping of the heart monitor and the smell that was unique to hospitals. He kept his eyes shut, hoping to savour the last remnants of sleep before he had to wake up and face whatever mess he had gotten himself into this time. 

"I know you're awake, DiNozzo," said a familiar voice from his left. Tony moaned, beginning to feel the pain from his leg. He opened one eye and then opened the other.

"Water," he coughed. His tongue felt like sandpaper. Only a second later, a hand was placed under his head to lift him up. A glass was placed at his lips and he sipped greedily at the cool water. Once his mouth had been sufficiently moistened, the glass was taken away and the hand placed his head back down onto the pillow and slid away.

"Thanks."

"Don't expect me to wait on you hand and foot, DiNozzo, that was a one time thing."

Tony nodded slightly. "Understood." Tony paused to swallow before speaking. "What happened?"

"You mean, you don't remember?" Gibbs asked.

Tony closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fuzzy memories. There was a blackout right?"

"You were trapped in an elevator with Michael Harker."

Tony's eyed widened as the memories of the night before came flooding back. "He shot me."

"Damn right, he shot you. He hit an artery, you've had about four bags of blood pumped into you since last night."

"No wonder I feel so-"

"Crappy?"

Tony sighed. "Yeah." Even though he'd had a blood transfusion, he still felt light headed and the light in the room had begun hurting his eyes. He frowned. "Where is he?"

"Who?" Gibbs asked.

"Harker, he had a heart attack right?" Gibbs nodded. He stepped up to the bed and looked Tony in the eye. "He didn't make it, did he?" Tony knew from the look Gibbs gave him.

"They managed to resuscitate him, but he died in surgery." Tony's eyes fell. "Don't feel anything for him, Tony, he was a scumbag and a murderer," Gibbs ordered. Tony chuckled lightly. "What's so funny?"

"He was a pain in the ass," Tony answered. "Can you believe he was claustrophobic?" Tony's smile faded. "He could have killed me."

"Why didn't he?"

"I don't know," Tony answered honestly. "He was standing over me, holding my gun and he had the chance. Those few seconds, before the heart attack, where he just stood over me…" Tony had no words to describe how that moment felt.

"Gareth Peterson's brother cut the power," Gibbs changed the subject. "He was trying to get to Harker, wanted him dead."

"Guess he got his wish."

"And now he's going to jail for it."

"Is everyone else okay?"

"Abby made fifty dollars off Ducky in a game of poker, Palmer learned something new about god knows what, and Ziva and McGee made new friends. Ziva handcuffed hers."

Tony laughed.

"As usual you came out worse, DiNozzo; only you could get into trouble when stuck inside an elevator."

"That's not fair, Gibbs, he was stuck with a murderer, after all." A second voice appeared. From the doorway Abby emerged, dragging a handful of multi-coloured balloons.

"Balloons, Abs?" Tony questioned. Abby set the weighted helium balloons on Tony's bedside table and explained.

"Well, I was going to get you flowers but then I remembered the last time I got you flowers and how you had an allergic reaction, and then I was going to get you fruit cos that's what you give people in hospital but then I thought 'is Tony really going to want fruit? He'd rather have pizza', but I realised the nurses probably wouldn't let me past with a pizza so I got balloons instead I hope they are okay cos-"

"Abby?" Tony interrupted before Abby ran out of breath.

"Yeah?"

"The balloons are great." Abby let off a relieved sigh.

"Quite," another voice joined in. Tony looked up and instantly smiled when he saw Ducky followed by Ziva and McGee.

"Hey guys," Tony greeted.

"How are you feeling, Anthony?" Ducky asked, placing a hand on Tony's forehead to check his temperature. "No fever as of yet, that's a good sign, at least you haven't developed an infection."

"Yet," Tony added.

"Quite," Ducky repeated. "Which means plenty of rest for you my dear boy."

"Don't worry Ducky, I don't think I'll be up and around for a while yet."

"You better be," Gibbs warned. "I'm not going to spend all my time breaking in another new agent."

"What an inconvenience," Tony replied sarcastically, knowing the only thing sparing him from a smack to the head was the guilt Gibbs felt for not finding Tony sooner. "I'll tell you what," Tony began, "I'll put the effort into getting back to work on top form if someone fixes the damn security measures in the building." Tony gave McGee a look. "No more locked doors or inert elevators please," he said with an over the top mocking grin.

McGee smiled patiently. "I'll see what I can do."

"Was I the only one who had fun?" Abby asked the group.

"Yes," Ziva answered for everyone. Abby gave Ziva a good natured glare which instantly turned into a mischievous grin. Tony shifted slightly in his bed and yawned loudly.

"I think young Anthony is tired, Jethro, maybe it's time for us to go," Ducky spoke.

"Okay, everyone out," Gibbs ordered the group. Ziva, McGee and Ducky all said their goodbyes with promises to visit him tomorrow. "DiNozzo."

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Next time..."

"There won't be a next time, Boss."

"Oh yeah?" Gibbs asked, intrigued as to how Tony was going to avoid any future incidents. "Why not?"

Tony grinned. "I'll take the stairs."

Gibbs chuckled. "When you're back at work we're going to have a long talk about how Harker managed to get hold of your gun." Tony groaned. "And your recklessness." Gibbs began walking towards the door when Tony stopped him.

"Boss?" Gibbs turned around. "Thanks for getting me out of there."

Gibbs nodded. "You're welcome," he replied, before stepping out of the room completely and walking down the hospital corridor and out of sight.

"Hey!" Abby spoke softly.

"Yeah?"

"Don't scare me like that again."

"Okay."

Abby eyed her friend. "You really tired?"

Tony nodded. "Oh yeah." His heavy eyes become almost impossible to keep open.

Abby leaned over the bed and whispered into Tony's ear. "Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you really like the balloons?" Tony closed his eyes completely and gave Abby a mysterious smile. "It doesn't matter if you don't cos I got a little something extra for you." Abby pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in Tony's hand. "Couldn't give it to you with Gibbs around."

Tony opened his eyes and grinned at the chocolate bar in his hand. "Thanks, Abs." He smiled appreciatively.

"You're welcome, bro," she replied. She ruffled his hair and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Abby tucked Tony into his bed covers before walking to the door. "Goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight, Abs." Abby reached for the light switch but Tony stopped her. "Abs?"

Abby's pigtails flipped in the air as Abby turned to face Tony. "Yeah, Tony?

"Can you leave the light on?"

The End

* * *

P.S, Did ya really think i would kill off Tony? 


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